Finding the Proper AC Unit Size

As a top HVAC contractor in North Carolina, we at Rapid Repair Experts are experienced with air conditioning systems large and small. Different homes need units of different sizes, and our pros can help with everything from figuring out your size range to altering units that are too large or too small.

What are some of the possible issues you’ll run into if you use the wrong size? Let’s take a look.

Issues with Incorrect Sizing

The average home in America spends about 40 percent of its energy-related budget just on heating and cooling – the US as a whole spends $24 billion per year just to power air conditioners, for instance. Some of this could be saved with better sizing considerations.

AC units that are too small will lead to issues of proper cooling – they’ll run frequently or even all the time, using tons of electricity, but will never fully get the job done. On the flip side, a unit that’s too large will turn on and off way too often, leading to wear issues. A unit that’s too big also uses too much cooling power, which will inflate your utility bill. On top of it all, too large a unit won’t pull the proper amounts of humidity out of the air, leaving the occupants of a given room uncomfortable and having the possibility of mold even if it’s cooled properly.

Finding the Right Range

Getting the right size for your AC unit is very complex. Consider things like the square footage of your home, the insulation quality, how much natural light the home gets, the number of floors in the house, and more. The National Mechanical Code mandates that each home receive a computerized ACCA Manual J report which will produce the exact heating and cooling load for your home.

Of course, you now must be sure that the equipment chosen for your home meets the needs of your home. You may often hear this expressed in tonnage but the real information is the BTU’s per hour for both sensible and latent heat. Again this is a formal calculation mandated by code (ACCA Manual S). Always be sure you see these forms to guarantee success.